Pro sports leagues are doing whatever they can to engage Gen Z

Rob Litterst

Published: January 14, 2022

Updated: October 11, 2023

While cord-cutting has been on the rise for years, Gen Z is the 1st generation to grow up as true digital natives, per Mic. As a result, they’re far less likely to watch live sports than previous generations.

Pro sports leagues are doing whatever they can to engage Gen Z

This finding isn’t lost on professional sports leagues, who are finding new ways to engage with young sports fans.

Examples include:

The NFL partnering with livestreamer Ninja in 2018 to co-stream a game on Thursday Night Football
The MLB running a contest where budding TikTok influencers could win the chance to be ambassadors
The NBA partnering with Take-Two Interactive to launch the NBA 2k esports league

However the leagues reach Gen Z, one thing seems clear — the future of fandom will be decentralized.

Topics: Sports And Esports Gen Z

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